Attorney General Ryan Outlines Plan For Environment

October 12, 1990

Du Page County State`s Atty. James Ryan said Thursday that if he is elected Illinois attorney general, he will bring his prosecutorial experience to bear on the state`s polluters and pledged that he ``will put legal and professional excellence ahead of partisan politics.``

``Criminal prosecution is an indispensable component of an effective environmental protection plan,`` said Ryan, underscoring once again his argument that he is better suited to be the state`s chief legal officer than state Comptroller Roland Burris, his opponent in November.

Ryan`s comments came as he unveiled a 10-point environmental protection plan that contains several programs similar to those put forth by Burris earlier this year.

The linchpin of Burris` environmental program is his call for creation of an Illinois Department of Environmental Affairs, a Cabinet-level ``super agency`` to coordinate the operations of 10 existing state agencies, including the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.

Ryan called for the attorney general`s office to be the state clearinghouse to help shorten the time it takes to identify and, if necessary, file either civil or criminal complaints against polluters.

``I believe the solution lies within the structure of the office responsible for enforcing the law-the attorney general`s office,`` said Ryan. Ryan`s plan calls for creation of an environmental review team and an investigative strike force, greater emphasis on criminal prosecutions for crimes against the environment and greater training of local police and firefighters to help identify potential violations.